Please note:  reporting requirements of Code of Virginia § 4.1-620 A. are included in this report.

During Special Session I of 2021, the General Assembly passed the Cannabis Control Act (“Act"), Subtitle II of Title 4.1 of the Code of Virginia. Section 4.1-601 of the Code of Virginia establishes the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (“CCA" or “Authority"). The CCA is “an independent political subdivision of the Commonwealth, exclusive of the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of state government." Va. Code § 4.1-601. The CCA consists of a Board of Directors (“Board"), the Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council, a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and any agents and employees the Board or CEO chooses to employ. The CCA has reporting responsibilities to the Governor, General Assembly, the legislative Cannabis Oversight Commission, and the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.(*1) The Act created the Board and the CCA with the stated purpose that the creation of such entities “is in the public interest, serves a public purpose, and will promote the health, safety, welfare, convenience, and prosperity of the people of the Commonwealth." Va. Code § 4.1-601.

This report details the work of the CCA from December 8, 2021 - November 30, 2022, to establish the Authority’s operations and implement effective sections of the 2021 Cannabis Control Act. The period covered in this report represents the first full year of operations for the CCA. It was also a time where the CCA first operated with full-time, dedicated staff who were able to carry out the Board’s directives and address the Authority’s statutory mandates, including coordinating meetings of the Board, participating in other cannabis-related state activities, developing and disseminating educational materials, advising on legislative proposals, engaging in outreach initiatives, and pursuing public safety and public health initiatives.

While some of the CCA’s statutory mandates have changed since initial enactment of the Cannabis Control Act,(*2) the CCA remains committed to the General Assembly’s directive that the Authority operate as the Commonwealth’s preeminent source of expertise on cannabis law, regulation, and policy. Public interest in cannabis policy continues to grow since the Cannabis Control Act decriminalized possession of cannabis in the Commonwealth. As detailed below, the CCA has devoted significant time and resources to meet the public appetite and need for information and guidance on this new, complex topic. The Authority’s mutually reinforcing roles as regulator, policy developer, and educator are best captured in its official mission statement, which highlights that the CCA’s overriding purpose is “to promote public health & safety and protect[s] consumers through balanced and inclusive cannabis regulation, policy, and education."
_________________________________________________
(*1) Va. Code § 4.1-602, 603, 604, 613, 620.
(*2) Detailed in the Statutory Authorization and Legislative Updates section of this report.